Why are we fascinated with celebrities? Why do we care so very much what they wear, say, and do on a Saturday afternoon?

the case for celebrity
The appeal of celebrities is understandable. There is even a case for celebrity, to an extent. First, there's a concept of symbolism. Looking up to representatives of your own race, gender, sexuality or background does matter. Below, Whoopi Goldberg speaks about how important representation was for her ... and why, at the height of her celebrity, she desperately wanted to appear on Star Trek.

​It's important to remember, though, that as a populace, we're seeing these people as symbols – not as people. Symbols don't fart. They don't have a bad day and take it out on the attendant at the petrol station. Symbols don't do much, actually, other than symbolise something, and conflating the person with the symbol can cause a lot of unnecessary distress, both to us – the audience – and to the celebrity in question.

Then there's the related concept of role models. Role models, like symbols, are important. In fact, you could argue that role models and symbols are one in the same: a person you look up to because they have achieved something that you admire. But I do think there's a separation here. Being a symbol is just a matter of existing in a visible position – of representing your social, ethnic or other group in a position that others admire. That has its own worth, and its own challenges. The status of role model, by contrast, is conferred to people based on how they use their position. Good role models use their visibility to model strong character, use their voices to speak out for issues that matter, and use their influence to amplify the voices of disadvantaged groups.
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Conflating the person with the symbol can cause a lot of unnecessary stress to the audience, and to the celebrity in question.

follow the leader
Social psychology plays a big part in the power of role models: we are predisposed to admire people with charisma, leadership skills, and good looks. When we see someone we admire doing a particular job, advocating an opinion, or recommending a blender, we automatically give the job, opinion or recommendation greater weight. If you have a position of leadership, you're going to affect your audience in one way or another.

This brings us back to celebrity. You don't have to be a celebrity to be a symbol. You don't have to be a celebrity to be a role model. But given the power of celebrity in human social psychology, and the amplification of constant media and social media attention, a celebrity is practically guaranteed to have a fair amount of influence.
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the great divide
I'm not planning to argue that celebrities must become good role models. Quite the opposite, actually. Some individuals may enjoy their career in the performing arts, the visual arts, athletics or writing, and may not wish to engage in the circus that is Twitter, press junkets, paparazzi, prime-time interviews, magazine features, red carpets and corporate sponsorships.... For myself, a writer and introvert who greatly prefers the woods to the rest of the world, I can't imagine anything worse. But in the 21st century, individuals in these careers are under enormous pressure to engage with their celebrity status – it's more or less a requirement of their jobs – and I think that's a shame.

The problem here is not that our celebrities don't always 'behave themselves' as role models, but rather our expectation that they will fill this position for us. We follow the people the media tell us to follow, often at the expense of quiet geniuses, the heroes who save lives or fight poverty, and the role models available in our everyday lives. It's not the job of the celebrity to be a better role model; rather, it is our job to choose better role models.

​Of course, some celebrities are excellent role models: Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Malala Yousafsai, Jon Stewart, Hank Green and John Green, Angelina Jolie, Emma Watson, and Bill and Melinda Gates, just to name a few.
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But there's not a one-to-one equivalency between celebrity status and positive role models – I would hardly consider Justin Bieber a positive role model – and there's an even greater problem of diversity. The field of 'celebrity' is still dominated by men, and still objectifies women. It's still disproportionately an American field, to the exclusion of talented individuals from places like Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America – and it still favours 'white' people over any and all people of colour. (The whole world is biased in favour of white people ... and yet we are obsessed with getting a perfect tan. Messed up, anyone?)
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The media have an unstated motivation for tipping the scales in favour of these celebrities: money. Of course, money. There is a lot of money to be made in telling people that a certain diet plan with give you the body of Jennifer Aniston. Celebrity news is also cheap to obtain – much cheaper than sending foreign correspondents on expensive and dangerous trips overseas – and it really, really sells. We have come to believe that it is somehow normal to watch celebrities on television as they go about their daily lives, arguing with their partner or taking a trip to the shops. We believe that knowledge of their perfume choices or favourite brand of underwear is public domain. And herein lies the problem.

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Powered by Cincopa Video Hosting for Business solution.Celebrity, Take 3A Special Envoy for the UNHCR, Angelina Jolie uses her influence to advocate for refugees.originaldate1/2/2016 6:18:26 AMheight284width486orientation1camerasoftwareWindows Photo EditorJon Stewart has long been an outspoken advocate for good government, and in retirement, has used his wealth to start an animal sanctuary.originaldate1/2/2016 6:18:51 AMheight198width313orientation1camerasoftwareWindows Photo EditorIn addition to his contributions to astrophysics, Neil DeGrasse Tyson uses his position to encourage the public to become scientifically literate.originaldate1/2/2016 6:18:36 AMheight253width443orientation1camerasoftwareWindows Photo EditorBill and Melinda Gates, through their foundation, are using their wealth to help build self-sustaining communities in some of the most challenging places in the world.originaldate1/1/0001 6:00:00 AMheight1080width1920camerasoftwareAdobe Photoshop CC 2A UN Goodwill Ambassador, Emma Watson uses her celebrity to speak for the HeForShe campaign, the UN's campaign to get men involved in gender equality activism.originaldate1/2/2016 6:18:36 AMheight201width332orientation1camerasoftwareWindows Photo EditorLong-time YouTubers Hank and John Green are very thoughtful about their influence, using their channels to make free online education. Their annual Project for Awesome, and their charity, the Foundation to Decrease Worldsuck, raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity annually.originaldate1/2/2016 6:18:38 AMheight272width470orientation1camerasoftwareWindows Photo EditorLivia Firth has used her position to found the Green Carpet Challenge, a project designed to bring ethical fashion into the spotlight.originaldate1/2/2016 6:18:30 AMheight739width1280orientation1camerasoftwareWindows Photo EditorNobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafsai is a global voice for education of women as an important investment in global stability.originaldate1/1/0001 6:00:00 AMwidth512height287

We must stop equating celebrities with role models, and with the public domain. It is not their job to be better role models; rather, it is our job to choose better role models.

it’s time for a divorce
We must divorce ourselves from the strange but firmly rooted equivalence drawn between celebrities, role models and the public domain.

Exploits on the silver screen or the football field are very public, but the personal lives of actors, authors and athletes needn’t be. We could all afford to be a little more kind to celebrities whose bankruptcies, breakups or addictions are splashed all over the gossip pages, remembering that these sorts of problems are extraordinarily common, and deserve our compassion.
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When we do select a symbol or a role model to look up to, we must do so carefully, considering whether the person displays qualities that we would like to see in ourselves, and we must be choosy about the qualities we look to emulate. Instead of striving to emulate their looks or wealth – which generally require a good deal of luck to obtain – we could admire celebrities who show kindness, humour, or thoughtfulness – which are traits that we can cultivate through effort.

​And it might be good to remember, as well, that symbols and role models can be found in less visible places. The owner of the local bakery might show the chutzpa and the entrepreneurial spirit we would like to develop. A teacher can be an excellent role model, but the school janitor may be the person whose kindness and cheerful manner inspires us on a day-to-day basis.
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If we start to separate out the notion of celebrity from the job of role models, we might start to discover that there is no shortage of positive role models to be found, and less reason to grasp at the latest celebrity gossip.